CALAMITY JANE

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mrsl
Posts: 4200
Joined: April 14th, 2007, 5:20 pm
Location: Chicago SW suburbs

CALAMITY JANE

Post by mrsl »

I've always considered this one of my favorite musicals because it stars Howard Keel, but during December, the Western channel on Encore has been playing it, and that led me to thinking about it as a western movie as well as a musical. I've seen shots of Judy Garland shooting and rehearsing for different songs in Annie Oakley, and I never really cared for Betty Hutton as Annie although I'm not sure why. Of the two, I would have preferred Judy I think, but seeing Doris Day as Calamity, I realize she would have been the Perfect Annie Oakley. First, noticing Doris in the 60's as the Virgin Secretary, it's hard to imagine her running around in buckskins, shooting a gun, and jumping on a horse and galloping away. If there is anything about this movie that is western, it is Doris and her performance. I used to night,day dream about Howard Keel, but as for this role, he could just as easily played it as a chorus boy, or a director on Broadway. His part is not in the least territorial. Except for his making a couple of trick shots with his gun, nothing he does is truly Western. But in the opening, seeing tiny Doris Day handling that team of six perched on that little coach driver's seat, turns this into a western movie. Her travel to 'Chicagy' to get Adelaide Adams, and later her feud with her is pure cowboy, and no matter if it's two men or two women. The tougher one is over-riding the weaker one, and that's all there is to it, until her female feelings come into the picture, which would never affect John Wayne or Chuck Conners (ha-ha-ha).

The saloon sets, and some of the outdoor scenes are so very western as well as the cowboys dressed in their tattered and grungy clothing, finally do make this movie stand out as a western and if you can get your mind to get over the songs, you can enjoy this as another 'just for fun' western with a singing cowboy as the star/hero. I have my own copy and often tune in only to the part where Doris and Howard do a sort of duet, and later the whole company joins in for the chorus on "Take Me Back to the Black Hills". That is one great song but who can forget 'My Secret Love' being #1 on the charts for what seemed like nearly a year!

I know there are'nt many western fans on this board, but if you sit down with the plan to just enjoy, I'm sure you won't rue your decision.

.
Anne


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Uncle Stevie
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Joined: April 15th, 2010, 10:15 am
Location: Bloomfield, New Jersey - USA

Re: CALAMITY JANE

Post by Uncle Stevie »

A truly honest review and one that I agree with for the most part. I like Howard Keel but also am a huge fan of Doris Day. Although some of her sappy movies with Gordon MacRae were hard to take. She played in silly movies and serious ones. I really loved her acting voice as well as her singing voice. As a young teen I was in love with her screen image. She was always a warm personality that anyone could fall in love with. But in real life she was troubled with four marriages. Here is a very good mini biography of Doris Day:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/ ... 1283.shtml

Doris did proclaim her favorite movie to be Calamity Jane and mostly because she felt that was her real image. She did love horses and animals.
Uncle Stevie


"Great Marriages Are Made In Heaven,
So Is Thunder and Lightning"
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